The Indian D2C market value is worth approximately $12 billion in 2022. It is projected to surpass $60 billion mark by 2027, by growing at a CAGR of 40 per cent. Consumers have multiple touchpoints across channels, providing them with numerous choices, and making the decision-making process more complex. Furthermore, the Millennial group, forming 70 per cent of the total sample size, forms the largest consumer base in India and are likely to share their personal data in order to have personalised engagement.

These observations were made in a recent report by KPMG on D2C (Direct to Consumer) segment.

The report further pointed out that consumers have shifted their preferences to having more customisation in the goods and services being offered. Thus, this no longer renders an approach to building general marketing strategies fruitful. Further, rising support from the Indian government in terms of funding, liberalisation, fueling digital e-commerce and related policies have served as a push for the augmentation of the market.

The report observed that the pandemic has surged the amalgamation of offline and online shopping. Brands are now integrating with online sales channels to ensure a seamless shopping experience for customers. Further, many D2C brands today have started adopting tech-enabled solutions to streamline processes and efficiencies around supply chain and warehouse management. With the help of social media marketing, fashion and personal care brands have been enabled to market their products more effectively, be it through their own portal or with the help of influencer marketing. Voice-based shopping as well as shopping through social messaging services and chatbots too are gaining traction. Hygiene and Personal Care, Beauty and Skin Care, and Healthy Snacks and Beverages are the top categories in the D2C market.

The KPMG report highlights that beauty and skin care consumers prioritise eliminating root causes of skin issues over quick fixes. This can be seen with a higher share of following on topics like acne and acne removal. Moreover, users actively look out for products and treatments for sustainable hair growth as well as occasional styling.

Additionally, in the beauty and skincare category, face makeup is the most popular, accounting for 75 per cent of the total content views, followed by the nail and eye topics.
The report stated the users show the most interest in topics related to eyebrows, facial masks, and foundation products.

In the Nail category, users show interest in Nail Care, suggesting they have progressed beyond the product exploration stage. Quora users are more likely to purchase personal care products online, with hairstyling, grooming, and skincare products topping the list. Users are more likely to purchase beauty products such as cosmetics, hair colouring products, and fragrances than essentials like shampoos and conditioner.

As per the report, the growth in the D2C market in India is expected to continue, fueled by changing consumer preferences, increased funding, government support, and technological advancements.

The report further said India owns a 22 per cent share in the Hygiene and Personal care market of the APAC region and has witnessed tremendous growth in its exports by registering a 26 per cent increase in a span of four years previously. At the same time, as per the report, the healthy snacks and beverages market has been synonymous with being a convenient source of nutrition for consumers due to the rising need for affordability and accessibility.

Furthermore, green tea has been in high demand lately as more and more Quora users are recommending and following it. Cereals and Oatmeal are considered to be close substitutes for having full-fledged meals. Cereals is a popular topic on Quora under the segment and Oatmeal, being an English style breakfast, has also gained traction amongst Quora users lately as the market is in a developing stage. 

FURIOUS neighbours say they are losing sleep over their local pub’s plans to transform into the ‘Love Island villa’.

Owners of The Old Volunteer in Caythorpe, Nottinghamshire, have applied for permission to make huge changes to the beer garden.

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If granted, the popular watering hole will have a brand new kitchenette, toilet block, timber bar, two footbridges and fencing added outside.

The pub’s planning agents said the £200,000 investment would bring in £1million every year and would turn it into a “vibrant community facility”.

Pub owner and tech firm CEO Sean Reddington, called the venue his “passion project”, after living in the village for the last 20 years.

He built an incredible play area so parents can have a little peace and quiet, which has a miniature Co Op, hairdressers and train station.

It even has a mini version of the pub, called “The Young Volunteer.”

The pub made local news after it donated just over £45,000 to the Ukrainian Red Cross.

The eye-watering sum was raised in just one week and the staff even donated their personal tips.

But those living next door to the pub say that it’s already destroying their peace and quiet, and the plans will only amplify that.

One local, who formally objected to the planning application said the expansion plan was “more in tune with the set of Love Island” than a country pub.

The objector added: “I am a resident of Lowdham and am unfortunate enough to live within hearing of the pub.

“The situation at present is that not so near neighbours are unable to sit in their gardens in good weather enjoying the quiet of the countryside nor get their children to sleep because of the noise.” 

According to the pub’s planners, the changes would see a boost to employment as the pub would need three full-time chefs and a further 10-20 part time staff.

The environmental health officer for Newark and Sherwood District Council said they had no objection to the change of use, but confirmed there had been complaints about loud music.

If the plans go ahead, there would need to be a curfew on the outdoor area as well as an ‘acoustic barrier’ in the form of a fence specially created to reduce noise.

New owners took over the pub in 2022, transforming the boozer into a top-notch establishment.

The new chefs, who’d previously worked at other impressive local restaurants, introduced a high-end gastro-fusion menu.

The Sun has approached The Old Volunteer for comment.

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The stories that matter on money and politics in the race for the White House

The US dollar has rallied to its strongest level since August, boosted by a recent string of strong economic data and investor bets that Donald Trump’s chance of winning next month’s presidential election is on the rise.

The currency has climbed nearly 4 per cent since late September against a basket of rivals, helped by blockbuster US jobs figures earlier this month that prompted investors to scale back their expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts.

But traders and analysts say shorter odds on a second Trump administration have added fuel to the rally, given that the former president’s plans to slap tariffs on imports are expected to push up inflation and interest rates should he win on November 5.

“The markets are moving to price in a greater probability of Trump victory,” said Lee Hardman, senior currency analyst at MUFG.

Betting markets and swing-state polls showing momentum for the former president have prompted investors to consider the market impact of policies to raise tariffs, restrict immigration and lower taxes.

Trump has indicated his desire to weaken the dollar, but investors have long thought his economic policies will do the opposite, particularly if the Republicans manage a “red sweep” of the White House and both houses of Congress.

Citi said its hedge fund clients, encouraged by the shift in US election odds, had this month been on their longest daily buying streak of the dollar in two years. Barclays said there was an observable “election premium” in the dollar, adding that the shift in Fed expectations on its own was not sufficient to explain the currency’s recent gains. 

Thierry Wizman, global foreign exchange and interest rate strategist at Macquarie, said there were “two pillars” to the dollar’s recent strength. The first was what he called the “re-emergence of American exceptionalism” in strong economic data, and the second was signs of a so-called “Trump trade”.

Trump’s economic policies “tend to be associated with more inflation and as a result they tend to be associated with a less aggressive rate-easing cycle from the Fed over the next few years”, said Wizman.

Expectations of slower interest rate cuts by the Fed have also fuelled a sell-off in longer-term US Treasuries in recent weeks, with the yield on the 10-year government bond reaching 4.22 per cent on Tuesday, its highest since July.

Swaps markets expect one or two further Fed cuts this year, implying a significant chance that the central bank holds rates at one of its two remaining meetings. Last month, investors had been expecting at least a quarter-point cut at each meeting.

The shift, just a month after the Fed launched began lowering borrowing costs from a 23-year high, has sent traders scrambling to adjust their positions. Volatility in the Treasuries market, measured by the Ice BofA Move index, has reached its highest level since the end of last year. 

However, with the US election result still seen as very close, other analysts said most investors would be reluctant to make wagers on the outcome at this point.

Tim Baker, Deutsche Bank’s head of FX research for the Americas, said he did think a Trump victory would “help the dollar, but we think that lies ahead”. 

The election is “basically a binary event with huge tail risks on either side”, said Mark McCormick, global head of FX and EM strategy at TD Securities.

SPOTTING a specific animal on a 50p could help you complete a rare collection that could be worth up to £160.

The Royal Mint has launched a new steppe mammoth coin as part of its latest Tale of the Earth Collection, which features rare and extinct animals.

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In the past, the designs have included dinosaurs but the latest range is centred around the Ice Age, which took place over 11,000 years ago.

Experts at Change Checker said: “The Tales of the Earth series as a whole is dedicated to celebrating ancient life on our planet, offering collectors a glimpse into a world that existed thousands of years ago, and the Ice Age Giants 50ps take us all the way back to the Ice Age.”

The 50p coin was designed by paleo-artist Robert Nicholls in collaboration with the Natural History Museum.

The reverse of the coin features a design of the famous animal, which was wiped out centuries ago due to hunting and rising temperatures.

It is currently available to buy from the Royal Mint website, with prices starting at £12.

These coins are uncirculated, meaning they are for collectors and you would not receive one as change in a shop.

The UK manufacturer has plans to release two more coins for the collection, which feature a 50p woolly rhino and also a giant dear.

These are not available to buy yet but you can pre-order them on the Change Checker website.

In the past, similar collections like this have been highly sought after by collectors.

The Royal Mint 2021 dinosaur collection, featuring all three coins, was sold for £160 on eBay earlier this month.

But it is worth remembering that coins are only worth what buyers are willing to pay for them.

For example, an identical set was sold for £25 on October 21.

The single steppe mammoth coin sold for £9.99 on eBay this week.

As the new Ice Age collection has not yet been fully launched, so it’s not quite clear just how much it will be worth.

But it’s not just animal collections that spark interest from collectors.

Coins featuring characters from children’s books or television can also be a hit.

For example, the Royal Mint’s 2018 edition of The Snowman coin, which features the iconic image of him flying in the sky, sold for £10.50 this Ocotber.

The 2019 edition, depicting the lovable cartoon as he comes to life, sold for £10.99 this month also.

You may have seen recently The Royal Mint released a 50p coin featuring the Gruffalo to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its books.

The Sun recently rounded up a full list of quirky rare coins that could be worth £356, which you can check out here.

How to spot rare coins and banknotes

Rare coins and notes hiding down the back of your sofa could sell for hundreds of pounds.

If you are lucky enough to find a rare £10 note you might be able to sell it for multiple times its face value.

You can spot rare notes by keeping an eye out for the serial numbers.

These numbers can be found on the side with the Monarch’s face, just under the value £10 in the corner of the note.

Also if you have a serial number on your note that is quite quirky you could cash in thousands.

For example, one seller bagged £3,600 after spotting a specific serial number relating to the year Jane Austen was born on one of their notes.

You can check if your notes are worth anything on eBay, just tick “completed and sold items” and filter by the highest value.

It will give you an idea of what people are willing to pay for some notes.

But do bear in mind that yours is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.

This is also the case for coins, you can determine how rare your coin is by looking a the latest scarcity index.

The next step is to take a look at what has been recently sold on eBay.

Experts from Change Checker recommend looking at “sold listings” to be sure that the coin has sold for the specified amount rather than just been listed.

HDFC Bank, the country’s largest private sector lender, is getting ready to list its non-banking finance company (NBFC) HDB Financial Services (HDBFS). At Rs 12,500 crore, this will be the largest initial public offering (IPO) in the NBFC space so far, and it will be the first public issue for the HDFC Group in about six years.

The public issue includes up to Rs 10,000 crore worth of stake that HDFC Bank intends to sell in HDBFS and the NBFC will also raise Rs 2,500 crore through a fresh issue of shares. HDFC Bank received approval from its board of directors for the IPO on Saturday.

“The IPO will be for such number of equity shares of face value of Rs 10 each of HDBFS aggregating up to Rs 12,500 crore comprising of a fresh issue of such number of equity shares of face value of Rs 10 each of HDBFS aggregating up to Rs 2,500 crore and an OFS (offer for sale) of such number of equity shares of face value of Rs 10 each of HDBFS aggregating up to Rs 10,000 crore,” the lender said in a stock exchange filing.

The price and other details of the proposed IPO are to be determined in due course.

ALSO READ: Growing youth population, high employment to drive GCC retail market: Lulu Retail

HDFC Bank currently holds 94.5 per cent stake in HDBFS and the NBFC will continue to be its subsidiary even post the IPO. Reserve Bank of India had come out with norms in 2022, which mandated NBFCs in the upper layer to list on stock exchanges. The listing of HDBFS follows those norms.

HDBFS is a non-deposit taking NBFC and offers a range of secured and unsecured loans to its customers. It has over 1,747 branches across 27 states and four union territories.

Separately, its BPO services division delivers back office services such as forms processing, document verification, finance and accounting services. It also delivers front office services like contact center management, outbound marketing and collection services.

For the quarter ended September 30, HDBFS reported a profit after tax of Rs 590 crore on revenue of Rs 2,410 crore. The total loan book of the NBFC was at Rs 98,600 crore as of September 30, 2024.

Currently, apart from HDFC Bank, HDFC Life Insurance and HDFC Asset Management are listed on the stock exchanges. HDFC Bank shares were trading 3.3 per cent higher on Monday at Rs 1,737 on the BSE, even as the broader BSE Sensex was down over 170 points or 0.2 per cent. HDFC Life Insurance was up 0.7 per cent at Rs 747.70 and HDFC Asset Management was down 0.5 per cent at Rs 4,687.85.

M&S shoppers are obsessed with a £15 box of chocolates which comes with a unique festive surprise.

The fancy supermarket has brought out a gift box with a magical miniature forest inside – and when you shake it, it snows.

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The 200g Magical Snowing Forest which has a charming snow-globe effect has sent M&S fans wild on social media.

One user took to the Christmas Money Saver Facebook group to share a photo of their find with the group.

“The world’s first snowing chocolate box” contains milk and blonde truffles in a secret drawer compartment.

The post was met with over 2,000 likes and 337 comments.

One said: “Omg I so want one of these”.

Another wrote: “Just bought it, it’s really beautiful and would be a fabulous gift to get.”

While a third added: “I got one for my husband and one for a friend, I love it, I know my granddaughter would love it too.”

You can buy the snow box in-store in M&S from the food hall.

To find your nearest M&S store, you can go to its website and use the store finder tool.

But make sure you’re quick as items like these tend to sell out fast.

Or if you’d rather have it delivered to your house, you can order it online through Ocado.

Bear in mind this will be a little pricier as delivery costs extra.

You should also have a shop around before you buy the box to see if there are any similar products for cheaper elsewhere.

The M&S Magical Forest was the only snow-globe chocolate box we would find, but the shop does also sell a Santa chocolate sleigh for just £5.

You can also buy a 140g box of festive chocolate shortbread stars for £2.10 in Tesco.

Or Cadbury‘s 110g snow-ball themed chocolate bar is available to buy in most supermarkets.

In Sainsbury’s, for example, it is £1.65 for a bar of snowball chocolate, or £4.50 for a 270g bag of snow balls.

Aldi is also selling a 125g box of Dairyfine mini chocolate snowmen for £3.29.

Supermarkets are always changing their prices, so it’s best to check how much your product is online before visiting the store.

Websites like Trolley are useful for comparing prices between major supermarkets and making sure you bag the best deal.

And when you’re in store, it always helps to keep an eye out for yellow stickers, as you never know what might unexpectedly be reduced.

What else is M&S selling this Christmas?

M&S festive food is always the centre of excitement at Christmas time, with shoppers splashing that little bit extra to mark the occasion.

The Sun tried all 450 new items in the M&S huge Christmas range, including a turkey feast lasagne and hot honey brie.

We rated the Xmas dinner dip the top of our list this year – it features bacon bits, turkey, cranberry and even stuffing and is delicious to eat with bread or crisps.

Booze lovers will also be pleased to see the original snow globe gin liqueur back on shelves this year after it was slashed from last year’s range.

In previous years M&S have had to install an alcohol buying limit because of the massive demand.

Shoppers can also buy 75cl bottles of cocktail drinks on sale at the moment for just £5.50, which come in flavours Christmas Cosmo, Christmas Colada and Christmas on the Beach.

The new white mulled wine is also £6 and offers another twist on a winter favourite, with pear, vanilla and mulled spice flavours.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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